Aiming to Become One Team: The Vision of Seven Net Shopping’s Marketing & Promotion Department
Every team has a beginning.
At first, members may not know each other well, and it can take time for everyone to move in sync. What ultimately brings a team together is a shared vision toward a common goal.
"Up Close with the Team," we explore teams at various stages—from newly formed groups to seasoned veterans—and look at the vision that guides how they work.
This time, we feature the Marketing & Promotion Department of Seven Net Shopping. The team supports Seven Net Shopping’s wide-ranging lineup, including books and magazines, CDs, DVDs, games, and merchandise.
Given the breadth of what they handle, you might assume they work in close coordination every day. Yet, in reality, they say there are still many challenges to overcome before truly becoming one unified team.
So what kind of vision is this team striving to build going forward?
We explore the answer through both management and on-the-ground perspectives.
Bringing the Team Together Through Communication: Perspectives from the Managers
Leading the Marketing & Promotion Department are Senior Manager Ito and Manager Majima. Working under their guidance are five specialists, each responsible for a distinct area of expertise. Together, they support a wide range of functions—from social media and advertising to page creation and operation of the official app for Seven Net Shopping.
Until fairly recently, however, the team members largely worked independently.
"Our work involves close collaboration with many other departments. As long as communication with those teams was solid, we were able to get the job done. That meant we could keep things moving even without much conversation within our own team. But we started to question whether that was really the right way to work."
Reflecting on this period is Senior Manager Ito, who previously led teams within the customer service division at Seven Net Shopping.
Ito
We handle customer inquiries on a daily basis, and some exchanges can span several days. Because the same person doesn’t always respond each time, we had built a system where anyone could take over at any point and continue the conversation smoothly. But with our current team, if even one person is unavailable, there’s a risk that the work could come to a halt. I felt that wasn’t a healthy situation.
Nodding in strong agreement with Ito’s remarks was Majima, the manager who works alongside him to support the team.
Majima
In my previous role, I worked for a company that operated both physical stores and online channels, but the coordination between them wasn’t very strong. At the time, I simply assumed that this kind of friction was common.
That perspective changed after I joined this company and was seconded to Seven-Eleven Japan. Aligning the direction of products with on-site operations to deliver a better experience for customers—this experience made me realize just how essential clear communication really is.
Ito, who has worked to build teams that can function smoothly even when someone is absent. Majima, who came from outside the company and learned firsthand at Seven-Eleven Japan the importance of collaboration.
Naturally, the perspectives of these two leaders converged on a shared goal: becoming one team.
As a first step, the two of them decided to introduce a daily morning meeting.
Ito
It may seem like a basic step, but without conversation, nothing really gets started. We wanted everyone to be able to talk openly—about what they’re working on, or whether they’re facing any challenges. That’s why we decided to begin with a daily morning meeting.
Majima
This team is, at its core, a group of specialists. By creating a space where we talk every day, I believe we can start exchanging ideas that emerge from each person’s area of expertise—whether it’s the perspective of a social media specialist or someone focused on web advertising.
Ito
Being ‘one team,’ rather than individuals, makes certain goals possible.
That said, both leaders are quick to add that they are still very much in the middle of that journey. Even so, little by little, conversations have begun to take shape within the team.
"Oshikatsu" as a Point of Connection: Field Perspectives
Oshikatsu: refers to activities done to support or enjoy your favorite celebrity, character, or hobby—your Oshi (someone or something you passionately support)—such as attending events, buying merchandise, or sharing content online.
One of the sparks behind these conversations has been the launch of the Seven Net Shopping Official App,* released in May 2025. Designed as a smartphone service, the app was developed to make the Seven Net Shopping experience easier and more enjoyable for customers.
*This app is only available in Japan.
"Building momentum around this app is one of our team’s key goals," says Tokura, who is in charge of the official app for Seven Net Shopping.
Tokura
Seven Net Shopping is all about staying close to our customers’ interests and passions—discovering something new, or purchasing something they truly love. We want to expand that kind of experience through the app. To make that happen, we’ve gradually started planning initiatives in collaboration with other team members.
One such initiative is Oshikatsu Club, an app-exclusive content feature. Until now, Oshikatsu Club has primarily been available on the Seven Net Shopping website, offering a wide selection of items perfect for fan activities. With the launch of the app, the team has introduced app-only features—such as exclusive photo frames—as part of their efforts to energize and grow engagement with the app.
Working closely with Tokura on the development of Oshikatsu Club is Akagi, who is also actively engaged in fan activities herself.
Akagi
I think it’s amazing that you can save photos of your favorite (Oshi) in cute frames directly to your smartphone as a memory. Sometimes limited-time collaboration designs appear, so I hope people will casually check them out!
This app is only available in Japan.
Tokura
Oshikatsu is really fun, isn’t it? I’ve loved music since I was a kid, and I’ve actually done Oshikatsu for some artists myself. That’s why, personally, I think this project is great. Akagi and I are always talking about how to bring her ideas to life using features unique to the app.
For now, collaboration within the team is still largely centered around Oshikatsu Club, but as Tokura puts it, “there’s definitely a change happening.”
Tokura
Looking back, I realize that I used to focus almost entirely on my own responsibilities, and we weren’t really collaborating as much as we could have. Since the beginning of this year, the phrase ‘one team,’ championed by Ito, has changed the atmosphere of the team. It created a shared mindset—one where we try to understand each other’s work so we can move toward the same goal. It feels like horizontal connections are finally starting to run through the team.
The official Seven Net Shopping app, the Oshikatsu Club, and the concept of being a "One Team"—these overlapping perspectives are slowly coming together. How will they shape the future of this team?
When Perspectives Converge, the Team Becomes One
Ito
First, we want to make this team a true one team. From there, our long-term goal is to extend that sense of unity across departments and work toward becoming one team as an entire company. Right now, it still feels like the very first chapter of a shōnen manga series.
Akagi
It really does feel like the first chapter of a sports manga. But since we started meeting face-to-face at our morning meetings, I’ve gradually begun to understand what the team as a whole is working on.
Tokura
As we’re gradually coming together as one, I’d love for the team and the app to grow together as well.
Majima
I’ve really come to feel that our role as managers is to support the team in ways that help everyone stay motivated like this. Looking ahead, I hope we can continue running forward together—aiming to become one team.
Ito
It means there’s still plenty of room for us to grow.
Beneath the different ways these thoughts are expressed lies one shared vision—to move forward as a team and nurture the service together.
Ito
Our goal is to create a team culture where understanding and openness come naturally. Each of us should strive to understand others and allow ourselves to be understood.
That mindset stays close to what customers love. And it is also the vision upheld by Seven Net Shopping.
Drawing on that vision, Ito offered this final description of the team.
We believe that the time spent with our favorite (Oshi)
becomes the energy that carries us into tomorrow.
Taking pride in connecting moments of joy,
we hope to keep weaving them together—
as companions who share the same passion.
And so, day by day, the pages of this team’s story will continue to be turned.
This text has been translated using an automatic translation tool.
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